emergency response

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he’s already making preparations, in case Hurricane Joaquin hits New York state full force in the coming days.

Cuomo says he’s staffing up emergency operations centers, notifying National Guard offices that they might have to be deployed, and having work crews clear any trouble spots known to be prone to flooding.

The preparations are ongoing even though the track of the storm is still somewhat uncertain.

When you hear those high pitched sirens coming from the road, you know someone somewhere is being transported to a local hospital or urgent care center. There’s a lot of science that goes into those transports to ensure their safety and efficiency.

This week on “Take Care,” Lorraine Rapp and Linda Lowen speak with Scott Matin on how ambulances and their crews operate. Matin is a 25-year veteran of emergency medical services and vice president of clinical, education and business services for MONOC Mobile Health Services in Wall Township, New Jersey.

First September 11, then hurricanes, flooding and superstorms -- New York state has had to deal with its fair share of disasters, both natural and manmade. But what has the state learned from these events to help us deal with future catastrophes? This week on WRVO's health and wellness show "Take Care," hosts Lorraine Rapp and Linda Lowen speak with Commissioner Jerome Hauer of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services about what has been done to prepare for the next big crisis.

Onondaga County and emergency management officials are taking the next step to help central New Yorkers prepare for a natural or man-made disaster. Officials believe it’s not a matter of if a disaster will strike, but when, and residents need to be ready.

Following a survey last year of central New Yorkers asking how ready they were for a disaster, one statistic stood out to Rosie Taravella of the Red Cross. Most people believe emergency responders will be able to help them right away if there is a community-wide storm, flood or man-made disaster.

The Sheldon Ballroom at SUNY Oswego was packed to capacity recently, as residents learned how to survive on their own in the case of an emergency.

As visitors watched a PowerPoint presentation, a member of the New York National Guard explained to them the types of disasters that could devastate a community like Oswego. It's this kind of preparation that Master Sgt. Peter Towse, with the National Guard, says can help someone in the case of an emergency.

Mobile technology is driving the modernization of disaster relief and public safety response. And, according to a recent report from the Brookings Institution, the rapid expansion of mobile devices and mobile driven data has already begun to save lives and alleviate suffering in disaster-struck communities.

Federal officials gave Oswego County's nuclear power complex a good grade after an emergency preparedness drill conducted this week.

Plant workers and emergency officials had to respond to a simulated equipment malfunction and radiation leak, where the wind then shifted.

"They have to react and they have to react quickly and that’s one of the things we’re looking for; to make sure that they understand what the change means, what it implies, and what to do about it," says FEMA's Rebecca Thomson.